Interlude
by R Reich
Summary: Based in The Reliquary Ring universe by Cherith Baldry, My idea of what might have happened between Leonardo Loredan’s acclamation and Gabriel awakening at the Palazzo Foscari.
1. Chapter 1

**Interlude**

**Part I**

The Palazzo Foscari had never seemed so far from the Ducal Palace until Leonardo Loredan had to escort Gabriel the distance, the weak genic barely able to walk out of the Ducal Palace into the square as was. Leonardo had wanted to take his genic home, but Francesco Foscari – with the backing of his uncle, Dr Foscari – had wisely advised him that not only the travel to the Palazzo Loredan twice as far as to his own home, but the buildings themselves there were as empty and draughty as a barn – hardly suitable for the new Duke, not to mention his sick genic.

It had annoyed Leo somewhat that Francesco was right with this – but more than that it annoyed him that neither his home or the Ducal Palace which was now his by right of election was suitable for him to live in, nor bring his new wife home to when they were wed in the following days.

His limbs incredibly weak, Gabriel stumbled along mindlessly at Leo's side, still clinging to him as he had almost the whole time since he had been rescued from the cage hanging from the bell tower. Leonardo couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for the genic to be trapped there in that cruel cage, unable to sit, unable to lay down; his limbs contorted as he was forced to reside there in his own filth.

He pulled the heavy folds of the blue velvet cloak draped around Gabriel's shoulders closer, reminding himself to thank Caterina Dandolo again for her kindness towards the genic that gossip had placed as his lover. It could not have been easy for her to go out amongst the populace, with them knowing she was betrothed to the man alleged to be a vile sinner who not only touched filth, but bedded it as well.

With a surge of quickly tempered anger Leonardo realised that he was now in the position to remove this injustice from society. As Duke he might not be able to give genics the same status as humans, recognised within the eyes of God – only the Holy Father could ratify that, but on the honour of House Loredan, he would do everything within his power to give genics as many rights as possible. To give them what they deserved. No more shall

They finally arrived at the Palazzo Foscari, and Maria Foscari ordered two of the servants employed by the House to carry Gabriel to one of the guest bedrooms, and then gesturing for another to fetch soap and water.

'I will tend to him,' Leonardo said quietly.

Maria looked startled. 'I shall get the servants to help you,' her husband, Francesco, insisted.

Leo shook his head. 'No. I – I must do this for him.' His gaze wandered to meet Caterina's. She couldn't completely hide the brief flash of fear in her eyes, but he smiled reassuringly at her even as Gabriel huddled closer to his side, under the comforting curve of his arm. 

'This way,' Maria said, gesturing for Leo to follow her. Gabriel was stumbling now. It must have been an awful strain on his weakened limbs to continue to carry him, although Leo was sure that the genic was now in such a physical state that he was moving purely on instinct. Dr Foscari slipped his arm around Gabriel's waist, supporting the frail genic with his bulk as he assisted Leo to guide him to the room Maria was guiding them to.

They eased Gabriel down onto the soft mattress of the bed, Leo flipping back the edges of Caterina's velvet cloak. He hissed with rage when he could finally see what a pitiful state Gabriel was really in. Dr Foscari placed a sympathetic hand on his friend's arm, not unaffected himself. He had quite come to like the shy genic, and to see him like this was saddening.

The days the genic had spent locked in that cramped cage had taken their toll. It was hard to believe looking at the unconscious wretch on the bed that the genic had been made to be beautiful, made for pleasure. His dark curls were matted and his clothes – the clothes he had been wearing the day he had left Dr Foscari's – were caked with filth. His closed eyes were sunken and the fragile skin around them was chafed and bruised. 

'You may go now, Dr Foscari,' Leo said softly, unable to tear his eyes away from the pitiful form on the bed. Dr Foscari looked at his friend with concern. A polite noise from the doorway and he turned to see a human servant standing there with a steaming basin in his hands. He gestured for the servant to put the basin down on the side table and leave.

Casting an anxious look back over his shoulder, Dr Foscari left the room too, pulling the door shut behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Interlude**

**Part II**

Leo sighed softly, fingering Gabriel's matted hair. 'Oh, Gabriel,' he whispered, moving to carefully disrobe the genic of the soiled garments he wore, even though in the state of unconsciousness that gripped the genic it was doubtful he would have even known. 'I am so sorry. I should never have sent you away...' He cast the clothing into a heap in the corner. It pained him to see how emaciated Gabriel was, his gaunt face and wasted limbs testament to the pain he had been through. Leo clung to Gabriel's hand and wept.

After a long moment of helpless sobbing, the new Duke drew in a shuddering breath, pulled himself together and began to wash down his friend with the soapy water the servant had provided. Days of filth and the sour stench that seemed to be emitted from the genic's very pores were washed away tenderly. Leo might not be able to love Gabriel the way the genic longed for, the way the genic loved Leo, but he still loved Gabriel deeply, nonetheless. And that was why he did this for his friend instead of a servant.

Because Leo loved him... and because it was his fault that Gabriel had suffered. Guilt was not a pretty emotion.

The door opened. 'My lord Duke?' Leo turned, to see Francesco's physician, a fussy little man, hovering in the doorway.

Leo rose from where he knelt by the bed, dropping the sponge he held back into the basin on the side table. 'I want you to look at my genic.'

The physician was unable to hide the disgust that curled his lip. 'But it's a genic!' he said, scandalized. 'I can't treat it! It would be a slur on my profession.' He shuddered delicately, and sniffed his disdain.

Leo drew himself up, glaring down at the little man. His ice-blue eyes were furious. 'Do as you're told and you can be the Duke's physician. Refuse, and I'll see you selling boluses outside the fish market.'

The physician quailed. There was no doubting the look in the new Duke's eyes – if he didn't treat the genic as the Duke wished then he would be resigned to selling boluses outside the fish market for the rest of his life. Out of the Duke's favour, he would be scorned and avoided by all but the poorest, from whom he would have to earn his meagre living. He shuddered. Surely God would forgive him for treating the abomination.

The physician treated Gabriel as quickly as he could, but with Leonardo Loredan looming over him like an avenging angel, the physician could not skimp on anything.

The catalogue of Gabriel's afflictions was not long. Exhaustion, malnourishment, lice and matting that meant his formerly beautiful hair would have to cropped off, his muscles weakened and wasted from the cramped cage... the physician left Leo with a tonic to give the genic when he awoke, an unguent to be rubbed on his limbs and left the sickroom as soon as he could.

Leo smeared the warming unguent over Gabriel's naked limbs, sighing. His skin was smooth and warm under Leo's hands, but through the thin covering of flesh Leo could feel Gabriel's bones. He swore then, that he would kill whoever was responsible for this. Whoever had ordered Gabriel placed in that cage.

It didn't take a genius to know who the perpetrator was. Count Dracone – knowing the way Leo felt about his genic – has somehow managed to capture Gabriel, and in placing him there in that cage where he knew very well that the Ducal procession would pass by, had sought to assure that Leo would lose the Dukedom because he would be unable to just leave Gabriel there to the elements.

And he had been right in a way. Leonardo had been unable to leave Gabriel there. He had been willing to sacrifice being elected as Duke for the genic, been willing to let Count Dracone be elected Duke. But neither of them had counted on the landslide result that had seen Count Leonardo Loredan elected to the ducal office in the face of his courage in standing up for what he believed in.

Leo looked down on the face of his dearest friend. Gabriel might have been a genetically created person, created for pleasure and lost by Countess Contarini to Leonardo's father in a game of cards, but he was the most important person in Leonardo's life. They had struggled to survive together, when Leo's father's gambling debts could have overwhelmed them, and seen the reassigning of Gabriel's rights and Leo sold into bondage to reply the debts to the State. But they had survived, and together they had managed to bring House Loredan back from the brink.

'I do love you,' Leo whispered, cupping Gabriel's face in the palm of his hand. 'I hope you know that. And I hope you know that whatever happens, I will never cast you off.' Leo didn't know what he would say to Gabriel when he awoke, but he knew that whatever happened, he would do whatever he could to make sure Gabriel was happy, and safe.

END


End file.
